Throwback Thursday: Attending NYFW

My Instagram has been filled with colorful runway looks and unique presentations. During the Ready-to-Wear Spring 2023 Kate Spade show balloon clouds floated overhead while staged rain fell behind the models who were wearing brightly colored raincoats and playful printed pantsuits. 

Aside from the excitement of fashion week, I tend to miss New York most in the fall.  Maybe because that's when I moved to the big city and started my fashion education. 

I moved into my dorm room on August 22, 2012, and on September 10, I attended my first show at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week as a writer for an online fashion blog, Disciples of Haute. I remember interviewing with Sharifa at Pret near Bryant Park just days after settling in. I was so nervous, but even more excited. A few days later, I was offered the internship and found myself standing in Lincoln Center looking up at the iconic Mercedes Benz building. That was a decade ago.

The new blog post. I did not edit it, but I really wanted to.

My first show at Lincoln Center was Joanna Mastroianni. I truly don't remember much about the show or the designs. All I remember was standing in the back waiting for the show to start thinking, "I cannot believe I am here."

My biggest assignment took place over the weekend of NYFW where I spent 9am to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday at Pier 59 Studios. There was show after show, and every second was thrilling. In between shows, I would charge my phone, mingle with the vendors who were selling hair products, makeup, and jewelry (some had food and drinks), and work on homework assignments for my marketing classes. 

I remember going to my first fashion presentation inside a warehouse in SoHo. Instead of the models walking the runway, they are on a set showing off the clothes. In this case, the models were lounging, playing records, and interacting with one another. A presentation really brings the clothes to life. It also gives you a chance to really see the clothing and the details, as opposed to a quick walk down a runway. I ended up seeing Erin Barr's collection during September's NYFW and also her February show. It was exciting to follow the same designer and see her designs for various seasons.

When I reflect on my time in NYC, I cannot believe all the things I accomplished. Sometimes it all feels like a fever dream. Maybe that's what Fall really means to me. Fall reminds me of dreams and living out your dreams. That feeling of excitement mixed with the unknown. That rush of moving to your dream city and going to your dream school. Working in the fashion world when just a few months ago you were daydreaming of these attending fashion week while turning the glossy pages of your favorite fashion magazines.

NYC was a dream. Three years of living, working, and exploring that city was incredible. I certainly miss the city from time to time, but I also remember feeling very lonely some days. In a city that never sleeps with millions of people, you may find that hard to believe, but it's true. Now I love having my own home instead of a cramped apartment. I love interacting with my community, living close to my friends and family, and having a yard with a garden. Life was very different 10 years ago, but I wouldn't change a thing. 

I hope you enjoyed that trip down memory lane. Does Fall make anyone else nostalgic?